biggest storm in years. and progress at ground zero. incredible images installing an escalator 100 stories up. good wednesday morning. i'm sunny hostin, in for paula faris. >> and i'm rob nelson. we may learn more today about the president's long-term response to the newtown tragedy. >> meanwhile, in that town, the first funeral service for a teacher will be held not far from sandy hook elementary. >> with more on the emotional remembrances, we're joined, now, by abc's mark greenblatt there in newtown. hi, mark. >> reporter: hi, rob, sunny. the funerals do continue today. meanwhile, flowers, candles and notes left for those who were lost, stretch back around the corner and out of sight. four more funerals will be held for victims of friday's tragic

shooting. three of those for children who died. >> it's hard to get your mind around it, you know, that someone so young could leave us, you know, in such a peaceful community over such a horrific event. >> reporter: a teacher victoria soto, will be laid to rest, as well. >> vicki died a hero. she was protecting her children, who -- which she loved very much. she didn't call them her students. she called them her kids. >> reporter: on tuesday, the sudden, grim need for multiple funerals went on display in a painful, new way. when the service for 6-year-old james mattioly ended, mourners left the church, exchanging hugs with many waiting outside for the next service, for jessica rakos, also 6 years old. >> i've never been watching a sea of people leaving a funeral for a child. and another sea of people waiting by the church for the next funeral. >> reporter: students in newtown, connecticut, returned

to school for the first time since the shooting. sandy hook elementary school remains closed, perhaps for good. >> i'll always be worried. but now, it's very, very bad. >> reporter: students from sandy hook will use the chalk hill middle school building in the neighboring town of monroe. there, volunteers have been preparing the school, transforming that building into something worthy of a new home for sandy hook. >> i'm going to put on a brave face. we're going to march up to the door. say hello to his teacher. i'll walk away and then cry. it's just all so surreal. i just -- >> reporter: and one note left for little jeff pinto, captured much of the sadness in this community. reading, you were my best friend. we had fun together. i will miss you. live in sandy hook, mark greenblatt, back to you. >> mark, the governor of connecticut has announced plans for friday to mark one week since the shooting. anymore details about those plans? >> reporter: yeah.

there's going to be a moment of silence, the connecticut governor, has declared, statewide throughout connecticut, at the time the shooting took place. it will be a sad moment but an important one for this community. >> mark greenblatt, live for us in newtown, thank you. the nra has planned a news conference for friday, to outline what it calls meaningful contributions to the gun control debate. the gun rights group had remained silence on the issue until now. meanwhile, the white house says president obama favors reinstatement of a ban against assault rifles. also, the company that makes the assault rifle used in that shooting is bracing for possible lawsuits. but bushmaster's parent company may be protected by a controversial law passed by congress seven years ago, shielding gunmakers from certain legal actions. a major investment firm, meanwhile, yesterday, announced it was dropping its stake in the company. and one hint of how heated the rhetoric over gun control

could get came on piers morgan's cnn show a few hours ago. his guest, the director of gun owners of america. it has rocketed around facebook and twitter overnight. >> i honestly don't understand why you would rather have people be victims of a crime than be able to defend themselves. it's incomprehensible. >> you're an unbelievably stupid man, aren't you? >> it seems to me you're morally obtuse. >> i know why sales of weapons have been soaring in the last few days. it's down to idiots like you. mr. pratt, thank you for joining me. >> your high-level argument. >> you don't understand the phrase high-level argument. you are a dangerous man, espousing dangerous nonsense. >> heated moments there. piers morgan has devoted several shows to the issue of gun control. coming up later on "good morning america," we'll take you inside the so-called safest school in america. students are protected by high-tech security measures from

the moment they walk in the door. we'll take you inside on "gma." >> search for solutions, as we're calling it. also, breaking overnight, a scathing, new report about the deadly september attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya. that report says security at the consulate was grossly inadequate, all because of management and leadership failures within the state department. it also says there was no protest outside the consulate prior to the attack, which is blamed squarely on terrorists. despite all the criticism, though, the report did not recommend any disciplinary action. and said no one ignored or violated their duties. congressional committees get a briefing later today. a major new development in the terror plot we told you about weeks ago. a 20-year-old man from south florida, raese alam qazi, a naturalized citizen from pakistan, is charged with a lone wolf attack against new york

city. specifically, in times square, wall street as well as broadway theaters. a new report suggests several links to cancer, among workers who were exposed to toxic debris at the 9/11 world trade center. but the health department found few cancer cases among the 56,000 people involved in the study. its author says the results should take action. a blizzard is sweeping across the country dropping snow from the rockies to the great lakes. it's the same storm that battered the west this week. southern california ski resorts are happy and covered in fresh powder. up to two feet of snow fell in parts of the pacific northwest. more than a dozen states are bracing for today's storm, with winter weather warnings from nevada to michigan. places like omaha, des moines and goodland, kansas, are expected to get the worth of it. 6 to 12 inches accompanied by fierce winds.

the wild weather is blowing in from st. louis to baton rouge, bringing thunderstorms and possible tornadoes. >> winter doesn't even officially start until what? friday. >> december 21st. coming up next, mark zuckerberg's latest generous gesture, extremely generous is probably more accurate. then, one of the most popular social media sites does a complete reversal after a user revolt. and delivery day of a new escalator, high atop the new world trade center. i'm only in my 60's...

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don't wait. call now. welcome back, everybody. instagram, yeah, they get the message.

the photo service's new terms of service seemed to say that it could put users' photos in ads without asking permission. and of course, that outraged users. and many canceled their accounts, even. instagram now says the language was confusing and never intended to sell users' photos to advertisers. and it will rewrite that clause. ahead of this morning's figures on new home construction, there are already signs of recovery in the housing industry. builder confidence is higher than at any point since before the recession. and there are more job openings in construction than at any time in the last four years. another positive sign, billing by architects is also up. but the price of electronic books is coming down. penguin group has reached a settlement with the justice department over ebook pricing. the government had charged five publishers -- five publishers and apple of trying to keep prices higher than what amazon wanted to charge. three other publishes have already settled.

apple and mcmillan have not. facebook founder mark zuckerberg is giving company stock worth almost $500 million to a silicon valley charity foundation. it is for an unspecified health and education program. two years ago, zuckerberg pledged $100 million to help the newark, new jersey, public schools. generous with all his money. always good to see. escalators take people up. but it's a crane that takes an escalator up. these are pictures of one being hoisted to the top floors of the new one world trade center, more than 100 stories above new york. the escalator is actually heading right for the photographer, who must have no fear of heights. look at that. >> that is an impressive job. an impressive picture. braver than i am. when we come back this morning, bank robbers on the run after a daring escape using bedsheets. plus, the incredible collision of a mudslide and a freight train.

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a deep, throbbing, persistent ache. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now i can do more of the things that i enjoy. lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you.

with less pain, i'm feeling better now that i've found lyrica. ask your doctor if lyrica is right for your fibromyalgia pain. wow. look at that. you are looking at what's left of a rain-soaked hillside in everett, washington. that huge mudslide slammed right into a moving freight train, crumbling at least seven cars and knocking them right off the track. engineers were about to check the cliff. but they were waiting for the train to go by first. fortunately, amazingly, no one was hurt. and with that, a look at your morning conditions. a slick ride in the pacific northwest. snow-covered highways from the four corners region into denver and des moines. rain drenches roads in

new orleans, memphis and baton rouge. slippery in northern new england. >> if you're flying, airport delays are possible in denver, minneapolis, chicago, kansas city, memphis, houston and new orleans. republicans are offering something of a backup plan in case no deal to avert the fiscal cliff can be reached by the end of the year. house speaker john boehner's so-called plan "b" would extend bush-era tax cuts for everyone making under $1 million a year. democrats have already rejected that, though, even as president obama is decreasing his demands for new tax revenue. a northern california college campus has reopened after a security threat. san jose city college was on lockdown, as police conducted room-to-room searches after a report of a gunman on campus. but after an hour's-long search, nothing was found and the all-clear was sounded. and more than a dozen fraternity members surrendered to police to face hazing charges, following the

drinking-related death of a freshman at northern illinois university. prosecutors say 19-year-old david bogenberger was made to drink during a frat party last month. in all, 22 members of pi kappa alpha are facing charges. a manhunt is under way after a bold and impressive escape from a federal prison in chicago. two convicted bank robbers are on the run, after using a bedsheet as a rope to rappel 20 stories down a prison wall. the men piled clothing under the blanket to look like they were sleeping. the window in the cell was broken. the sheet was tied to the bars. the 2 were last seen 90 miles from the prison. a true hollywood crime story. paramount studios is looking for an unreleased movie, snatched from a car in san francisco last month. the unnamed movie was on a computer hard drive. two suspects were arrested after surveillance video showed them breaking into a number of cars.

police recovered other stolen electronic devices. but the hard drive may have been sold. and the movie, erased. well, guess what. donald trump just got even richer. trump won a $5 million defamation suit against the former miss pennsylvania. he sued sheena monnin after she posted on facebook that the miss usa pageant was rigged. monnin said there was a list of top winners before they were announced. but a new york judge ruled her statement was false. now, on to sports and some controversy. the dallas cowboys are trying to put that to rest. neither the team nor the nfl were aware that josh brent was planning to be on the sidelines during last sunday's game. the cowboys were honoring jerry brown, who died in a car accident. brent was the driver and is now charged with intoxicated manslaughter. the cowboys say his presence on the sideline was inappropriate. and that brent won't be there again this season. some of last night's nba

highlights, now, from espn. >> randy scott here, with your "sportscenter" update. we start last night in los angeles. the lakers taking on the woeful bobcats. came into this one having dropped 11-straight. we go straight to the fourth. under a minute to play. kobe bryant, he's so consistent. he's so good, too. had over 30 points for the seventh-straight game. he's 34 years old. final seconds. bobcats down one. kemba walker? no dice. dwight howard says no. the follow won't go. the tip-out. another block from kobe bryant. and then, a last desperation heave. no, sir. and the lakers win three-straight. lebron james and the heat hosting the timberwolves. they've won four-straight. second quarter, lebron on the break, leaving it for d. wade. and he needed a big night. he had 24 points. only 27 points combined over his previous 2 games. chris bosh also got involved. off the feed from lebron.

later, shane battier's defense, starting to break. ray allen, up ahead to lebron, who finishes. 2 of his 22 points, as the heat wins 103-92. a reminder, a college basketball doubleheader tonight on espn2, starts at 7:00 eastern. i'm randy scott. have a great day. up next, "the pulse," and a possible shakeup on late-night television. also this morning, the video that has gone viral in the past few hours. an eagle trying to steal a baby. but is it real? introducing nook hd - the world's best 7" tablet made for reading and entertainment. your favorite magazines and catalogs look better than ever. and with scrapbooking, you can save the things you love, bring them all together, and be inspired like never before.

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it is time to check, " pulse," starting with some video sure to get people talking today. >> yeah. we've all had this experience. you know how sometimes you see video online. and you say to yourself, there's no way in the world that's real. all right. well, check out this video posted to youtube overnight. a man in montreal, was videotaping an eagle flying overhead, when it suddenly swooped down, grabbed a small child and tried to fly away. now, the eagle dropped that kid before it got too high off the ground. and the boy did not seem to be hurt. real or not. >> i don't know if it's real. >> discuss amongst yourselves. and some news from inside our industry, now. what could be another move toward younger audiences in late-night tv. here on abc, jimmy kimmel, of course, as we've said, is moving up half an hour, starting next month. january 8th, i think. >> and now, reports say nbc could be looking to replace jay leno with its own late, late comedy guy, jimmy fallon.

leno's current deal expires in 2013. >> the move to a younger host is meant to attract viewers in the vitally important 18-year-old to 49-year-old age group. let's hope it was handled better than the leno/conan situation a while back. >> we can hope. finally, the christmas tree that was a little too big for the house. or was it? take a look. at first glance, it sure looks like the tree went straight through the roof of that home in seattle. >> in reality, the homeowner cut the top of the tree off and used some extra roofing material to create the illusion. the whole thing is bolted to the roof, after a first attempt was blown off by some strong winds. >> i love it. >> give him points for creativity. that's pretty cool. >> i love it. i want to do that. >> you want to do that? >> i may try. >> i like this time of year. folks get creative with the

decorations. i like that. well done. well, for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, don't go far. "america this morning" continues right after the break. ♪ i woke up to a feeling ♪ every little thing has meaning ♪ ♪ i woke up to a light bulb on ♪ every little thing is possible now ♪ [ female announcer ] we've added a touch of philadelphia cream cheese to our kraft natural cheese to make it creamier so whatever you make isn't just good, it's amazing. ♪ ...is amazing with the love that i found ♪ ♪ ♪ ...is amazing with the love that i found ♪ last christmas, i got my husband this treadmill. now that i gave my son these reebok zigkicks... ...someone's actually using it. (inner voice): how you like me now? the new reebok zigkick. famous brands. famously easy. famous footwear. victory is yours.

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is good morning, 4:28 on this wednesday day it is cold. we've been saying that but this is cool. >> we were;&c=÷ saying yesterday how cold it was but i think today is the champ. coldest day of the season, coldest morning as we look at live doppler, there's no clouds, no radar returns nothing to keep the heat in during the morning hours. widespread 20s up north,

fairfield, napa, santa rosa, 27, 28, 29, 31 livermore and concord, mid 30s to upper 30s around the bay. san jose 35. temperatures from four to 10° cooler than yesterday. by the afternoon, a lot of sunshine, temperatures around 50 to 53°. no reports of black ice in the bay area. serious accident northern part of our state near the oregon border,ish-5 shutdown due to a major accident 60 vehicles involved north of yreka in the hornbrook rest area if are traveling north on 5 you won't get through. southbound has traffic controls, one lane getting by. closer to home, golden gate bridge, no delays, no cars coming by, roadwork on the northern end of the span. highway 9 in the santa cruz mountains "sig alert" with wires down at main street.

just to give you more on that breaking news, that i-5 closure in northern california creating huge headache. big rig slapped into the concrete median north of yreka near hornbrook 6:30 last night that triggered a chain reaction pile-that up stretched more than two miles, 16 injured, seven taken to the hospital. people stuck in that closure are being bused to a shelter in reading an hour and a half to the south. tow trucks lined the freeway to haul away cars. this morning that area remains under a winter weather advisory. sue will be keeping you posted. happening now, developing news from oakland, firefighters are investigating early morning blaze that sent a security guard to the hospital. the fire started midnight in a pick-up truck south of the stadium, the flames spread to